Review: Greensmith by Aliya Whiteley at Strange Horizons

I've been a fan of Aliya Whiteley since reading her bizarre, disturbing novella The Beauty in 2015. Since then, I've approached all of Whiteley's books and stories knowing that I'll find weirdness and thought-provoking ideas in equal measure, and have never been disappointed. I have a review of Whiteley's latest up at Strange Horizons. It's a sly piece of writing that starts out pulpy and strange and then gets deeper (but no less strange) as it goes on.

the horror in Whiteley’s stories runs deeper than mere disgust. It is the horror of the loss of self, of loneliness, and of realizing that the world is more dangerous and cruel than you had been raised to believe.

In her most recent novella, Greensmith, Whiteley once again delivers a compelling and plausible future world alongside disquieting horror, but she also adds a new weapon to her arsenal: humor. Greensmith is a tale about the end of the world, about looking back on your life and evaluating your mistakes and achievements. But it is also deeply funny, and a vicious satire of one of science fiction’s most beloved pop culture touchstones.
Also at Strange Horizons, I participated in a roundtable discussion with some of the magazine's writers and reviewers, about the current state of reviewing, the purpose of reviewing, and how our reviews have changed over the years. 

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